t. Across the water came
the crashing roar of the prodigious explosion, followed a few moments
later by the sounds of wreckage and bodies as they dropped into the sea.
Then again impenetrable gloom and profound stillness succeeded. The
batteries on shore were awed into silence by the awful sight, and the
waiting friends on the ships held their breath.

The hope was that Lieutenant Somers and his companions had fired the
fuse and then rowed away in their boats, but as minute followed minute
without the sound of muffled oars from the hollow night reaching the
straining ears, suspense gave way to sickening dread. The vessels moved
to and fro about the entrance, as if the inanimate things shared in the
anxiety that would not allow them to remain still. At intervals a gun
was fired or a rocket sent up to guide the missing ones, but none
appeared. Every man had been killed by the explosion of the ketch.

Investigations made afterward seemed to establish that Somers was
attacked by three gunboats, and, finding escape impossible, it was he
who ran along the deck, lighted lantern in hand, and deliberately blew
up the _Intrepid_, destroying not only himself and companions, but many
of the enemy. The mangled remains of several bodies were found some days
later and given burial on shore, but not one could be recognized.
Captain Bainbridge and some of his brother officers, who were prisoners
in Tripoli, were allowed to view them. He said: "From the whole of them
being so disfigured, it was impossible to recognize any feature known to
us, or even to distinguish an officer from a seaman."

In November, Commodore Samuel Barron arrived, and succeeded Captain
Preble in command of the American squadron. He brought with him the
_President_ and _Constellation_, thereby increasing the force to ten
vessels, carrying two hundred and sixty-four guns.

Having failed to bring the Bashaw to terms by force of arms, the
Americans now resorted to what may be termed diplomacy. The reigning
Bashaw of Tripoli was a usurper, having displaced his elder brother, who
had fled to Upper Egypt. He had a good many friends, who, if they dared,
would have been glad to replace him on his throne. The American consul,
who understood all the particulars, proposed to our government to use
the deposed ruler as an instrument to compel the usurper to make terms.
The Government authorized the consul to go ahead.

Accordingly, he made his way to Alexandria, sought out